Ground moles and similar burrowing animals are more often than not considered pests in the lawn or garden. The holes these creatures leave behind are unsightly, and over time you’ll have dug-up patches everywhere. So, how do you get rid of ground moles with dawn soap?
Sometimes it’s as simple as using a product you already have in your kitchen. Chances are that you have a bottle of Dawn soap for cleaning dishes. Apparently, it’s great against moles as well.
Here’s a short guide on how to get rid of ground moles with Dawn soap.
Can Dawn Soap Get Rid of Moles?
By itself, dawn soap won’t deter ground moles from staying around in your lawn or garden. However, it’s been said that the soap tends to dull the moles’ senses and slow them down.
Dawn soap serves a greater purpose- it’s used to mix water and oil, particularly hot water and castor oil. Water doesn’t combine well with castor oil, and this is where soap comes in.
You’ll want a cohesive solution that can penetrate the ground and get to where the moles are living to succeed in having the creatures relocate for good.
Castor oil is the primary ingredient versus ground moles in your garden. When moles ingest or come into contact with castor oil, they get stomach aches and their skin gets irritated.
They will experience discomfort, which hopefully will be enough to drive them away. The good news is that dish soap and castor oil will not kill them and is an organic solution to the ground mole problem.
How to Get Rid of Moles with Dawn Soap
Step 1. Gather All The Ingredients
To make a ground mole deterrent solution you’ll need three things- water, Dawn soap, and castor oil. You may need to go to your local pharmacy or drug store to buy castor oil- they’re usually found on shelves or over the counter. You won’t need a prescription to buy castor oil.
Step 2. Prepare and Mix the Ingredients
Bring a small pot of clean water to a boil. In a spray bottle, add two tablespoons of Dawn dish soap and half a cup of castor oil (or anywhere between 4 to 6 ounces), then pour the warm water into the container.
You may need to scale it up depending on how big your yard or garden is. Make enough that every inch of the ground will be saturated by the solution. You may also need to repeat the process a few more times to get rid of all the moles.
Step 3. Load Up the Solution and Spray
After mixing the ingredients well, pour the solution into the spray bottle or hose. Go out to your garden or yard and coat the lawn with the solution. It’s recommended that you cover every nook and cranny so the moles won’t have anywhere to hide.
It’s recommended that you do this early morning or early evening, and when you’re not expecting any rainfall. Pour down the dawn soap and castor oil solution on mole holes and cover them with soil.
Step 4. Rinse and Repeat
A single application of dawn soap and castor oil may not be enough to get rid of ground moles in your lawn. As such, it’s recommended that you do a weekly spray and pour castor oil and Dawn soap to encourage the pests to stay out for good. You probably won’t need to spray for more than a month unless the moles are stubborn- they will leave as long as you’re persistent.
Ground moles are active only during the fall and spring seasons. The moment you see the telltale holes and dug-up soil, immediately try to spray your yard or lawn to get rid of ground moles.
Preventing Mole Infestation
To prevent mole infestation in your lawn or yard, you should remove the creature’s food source and clean up plant debris on a regular basis. Food scraps and vegetable plants can entice these ground dwellers to stay in your yard, but if they don’t have any food to eat then the ground moles will tend to go elsewhere.
Also, it’s recommended that you do not overwater your lawn, as soggy soil can invite moles and other burrowing animals.
Related Article: Small Holes Appearing in Lawn